


Trying to Move On, Struggling to Survive

by RandoFando_Spoonie



Series: AU-gust 2020 [5]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: 911 in The Walking Dead, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Character Deaths Happen off screen, F/M, M/M, Not really a happy story, Walkers (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25728499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandoFando_Spoonie/pseuds/RandoFando_Spoonie
Summary: Written for AU-Gust "Post-Apocalypse" prompt, the 9-1-1 and Lone Star crews, what survive of them, make it out of their respective cities and try to find somewhere "safe" among the Walkers and eventually meet up. Not the crossover most were hoping for, who survived, who didn't, who got lost along the way?
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Paul Strickland/Nancy Gillian (implied)
Series: AU-gust 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859479
Comments: 9
Kudos: 20





	Trying to Move On, Struggling to Survive

**Author's Note:**

> I know this story is probably gonna upset a lot of people, oops? I tried to make the characters that would have survived make some kind of sense. Yes, less 9-1-1 folks survived than Lone Star, in TWD canon the outbreak "started" in LA so I figured it made sense less of them would get out. It was hard, really damn hard, to decide who lived and who died, often it came down, literally, to a roll of the dice because I just couldn't choose.

Los Angeles had gone to Hell, he didn't know how they'd gotten out, wasn't sure it wouldn't have been better to stay behind. But he had Maddie and the baby to think of. He couldn't deal with his own grief right now, not when theirs was so large. Could he even call Kevin a baby now? He was five, so probably not. Kevin was in the back of the Jeep, buckled in safely, Maddie rode beside him, staring unseeing out the windshield as they drove God knew where.

The flu had morphed, changed, somehow. So many dead, the military coming in and taking over. The choppers overhead. He knew they had to leave, had to, there was no other choice. The convoy rolled on, they took back roads for the most part, stopping when safe for sleep, for supply runs. Bobby's truck was up ahead, keeping everyone on track, Harry in the passenger's seat reading the map.

Buck still couldn't believe how many people _hadn't_ made it. How many people they'd all lost, either because of the flu or because of the...what were they calling them now, Walkers?

Those things were awful, they'd lost a lot of people before they realized they needed to hit them in the head _and_ that noise and light attracted them.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Somewhere in Texas another convoy was rolling away from Austin. Firefighter Judd Ryder, his wife Grace and their friends TK, Carlos, and Paul. TK almost hadn't made it. He'd insisted on being with his dying father to the end, Carlos had had to drag him kicking and screaming from the hospital as the military showed up. Eventually they'd gotten him and into the back of one of the vans they'd found. Paul was driving that one, his new girlfriend Nancy in the passenger's seat. None of them had expected Nancy and Paul to hook up but they had not long before this flu hit. Nancy was an EMT, she was good for Paul, made him smile, which was not something any of them did much anymore.

Too much loss, too much pain after the illness hit, after the dead started coming back and eating the living. Judd was grateful TK hadn't seen any of that, hadn't seen his father turn into one of those things. They all missed Cap, it hadn't been that long but he didn't reckon life was going to get a whole lot easier.

Grace reached out, took Judd's hand as they drove down the back country highway north. They didn't know where they were going just away from people. The prairies they figured would be safe. Or safer. Less people to start with, less dead up and shambling about now. They could, he hoped, find a place that was safe, fortify it before the colder weather rolls in, they'd have to wait and see.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The days drift by too fast and too slow all at once. They lose people, find people, the groups grow and shrink seemingly at random until one day in Oklahoma the two groups collide. Sort of. Neither group realized they weren't the only group in town until they end up on opposite sides of a stand off.

Bobby looks the group over and his eyes land on Judd, on the torn AFD t-shirt he's wearing, the APD t-shirt of Carlos's and the service weapon trained on Buck who's holding the crossbow he'd found at a Dick's a while back and had been getting pretty good with at Carlos in return.

“Easy now everyone, I'm sure there's enough supplies and stuff to go around. Look, we're all on the same side here, or we were before the happened. Let's just... talk.” Bobby spoke softly.

Judd watches the other group, looking them over and then gives a nod, Carlos slowly lowers his gun as Judd rests the head of his axe against the ground.

“We're outta Austin, you?”

“Los Angeles.” Bobby answers honestly. “How big's your group?”

Judd blinked at that, he didn't think anyone made it outta LA. “We were six at first, lost one of our group, found a couple others. We're still less than ten. You?”

Bobby frowned, “About the same.” He takes a few steps forward, offers his, “Captain Bobby Nash, LAFD firehouse 118... or was.”

Judd swallowed and shook Bobby's hand, “Judd Ryder, Austin FD firehouse 126.” He gestured to the men and woman to either side of him, “Officer Carlos Reyes Austin PD, firefighters Paul Strickland and TK Strand, and my wife, Grace.”

Bobby nodded, “Firefighter Evan Buckley, we're the only two that made it from our firehouse. Buck's sister Maddie and her son Kevin are in the RV with my step-son Harry. This is Karen Wilson.” He gestured to Karen, “We've picked up a few stragglers here and there. LA was a war zone, still don't know how exactly we managed to get out.”

Judd nodded back, “I'm sorry for your losses. Paul, TK and I are the only ones that survived from our firehouse too. Paul's girlfriend made it at first, we lost her just after we crossed into Oklahoma.”

“You got a destination in mind?”

Judd shook his head, “Somewhere in the flyover states.”

Bobby hummed, “There's safety in numbers. More people means we can swap out watchmen at night more often.”

Judd frowned, “I'd be lying if I said we weren't running on fumes energy wise. Alright, let's give this a try.”

The new larger group went around the city, working together to gather supplies, find weapons and clothing. Eventually they all met back up, looked over a map and plotted the next leg of their trip. Nebraska or Kansas, somewhere near the border they figured would work and so they made sure their radios and walkies were on the same frequency, got into their respective vehicles and got back on the road, a larger group than they'd had originally, heading into the unknown.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to follow me on Tumblr: RandoFando-Spoonie
> 
> As always kudos/comments aren't necessary but are very much appreciated.


End file.
